From Savyata Mishra

May 7 (Reuters) - McDonald's Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said on Thursday that the burger chain is well-positioned to handle short-term volatility caused by the Iran war, but warned that continued disruptions to global supply chains could lead to higher costs and increased pressure on demand.

Restaurant chains that rely on daily customer orders are experiencing weak demand as lower-income customers reduce their spending due to rising fuel prices. However, wealthier customers continue to spend.

McDonald's reported better-than-expected revenue and profit for the first quarter, while similar-year global sales rose 3.8 percent, slightly below expectations. The company's stock gave up gains made before the market opened and remained largely unchanged in morning trading.

"High fuel prices are the primary problem we are currently facing," Kempczinski said during an earnings conference, adding that this increase "will disproportionately affect low-income consumers, and we expect pressures in this regard to continue."

He added, "I think it's fair to say... that (the overall conditions) are certainly not improving, and may even be getting worse" over time.

The profit margins of the restaurants owned and operated by the American company fell by 25 percent to $59 million compared to last year. Kempczinski said, "Either I fix this, or we'll look for franchisees who can run the restaurants better."

Data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed that McDonald's total revenue of $6.52 billion exceeded estimates of $6.47 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company achieved earnings of $2.83 per share, surpassing expectations of $2.74.

Globally, McDonald's sales rose 3.8 percent in the first quarter, below estimates of 3.95 percent, although this represents an improvement compared to the 1 percent decline recorded a year earlier.